When Size Doesn't Matter
by Tarafina
Summary: While trying to teach Sam an important moral lesson about loving oneself, their status as new friends becomes something much deeper.


**Title**: When Size Doesn't Matter  
**Category**: Glee  
**Genre**: Humor/Romance  
**Ship**: Rachel/Sam  
**Rating**: Teen  
**Word Count**: 2,755  
**Summary**: While trying to teach Sam an important moral lesson about loving oneself, their status as new friends becomes something much deeper.

**_When Size Doesn't Matter_**  
-1/1-

Rachel smiled. Not for the first time, she thought it was nice to converse with somebody who talked almost as much as she did. If she could get a word in edge-wise, she might have told him that. But there was no point in interrupting now. No, Sam was on another of his 'Avatar is the greatest thing ever made, _ever_' spiels and she rather liked how animated his hand gestures became and the way he smiled at her with this glinting excitement in his very clear green eyes… Not that she was looking deep into his eyes or anything, because she was currently avoiding dating. And she and Sam were new to their friendship, one borne of separate and yet attached heartache; of seeing the cosmic perfection of Finn and Quinn… Or, well, that was _her _interpretation of it. He, on the other hand, had become excited to learn that she aspired to one day partake in the cast of Avatar on Ice, as found written on her To-Do List in her locker, circled with stars and beneath Ann Margaret in concert. Apparently he had quite an affinity for the world of Avatar and it had clearly broken the metaphorical ice.

With things firmly _off _with Quinn and the very short relationship involving Santana long-over, it seemed Sam had few friends. That could be because Finn disliked him on principle alone – she was sure Noah mentioned something about Sam being a better version of Finn at some time or another – and thus discouraged any line of friendship between them. Or more likely because though glee was meant to be a family that lived outside of the cliques that McKinley abided by it still had many of its own. Yes, there were some differences, like Mike dating Tina and Brittney dating Artie, but once more those were _relationships _that broke the stronghold of high school discrimination. Friendships were another thing altogether. And though they bonded somewhat in glee, it was obvious to Rachel at least, that their brethren did not compute outside of the choir room and into the halls. Or at least not with _her_.

Not until _Sam _that was. Since his falling out with the two of the most popular girls of their group and he hadn't exactly bonded with the males, he had returned to his once quiet and outsider standpoint. But then fate, in the form of an overzealous Mr. Shuester, encouraged team unity with a duets project, deciding she and Sam would be an interesting match. He was right, of course, and they blew the minds of all those around them, but something more was born that day than the all-mighty sound of song that she and Sam produced, though it was nothing to be underappreciated. While discussing various songs and artists, a mostly one-sided conversation fueled by her, Sam had noticed her pink To-Do list posted on her locker door and had interrupted her to make sure what he was reading was true.

_You like Avatar? _He'd asked, fidgeting with excitement.

_I happen to think it's a cinematic marvel! Though I find pure acting without the help of CGI to be the most exceptional of movie-making, I couldn't help but enjoy the ethereal world of Pandora and its very interesting characters shown in the Na'vi. And being that it is on my To-Do List, one can only expect that I will one day be cast as Neytiri and—_

He'd interrupted her once more, _Yes! _He fist-pumped. _Finally, somebody who realizes Avatar is only like the greatest movie there ever was! _

She had to argue with him there and that soon broke into an argument about the aforementioned greatest movies ever made. And thus their friendship was born; from Avatar to musical genius to sharing their mutual heartbreak over the reunion of Finn and Quinn.

It had been unexpected and clearly underestimated by her glee peers, but they were happy to be in each other's presence long after the duets project had finished. Weeks later, she was still basking in the easy way he leaned against her locker and talked to her like she was anybody else and not the glee-freak that so many had unnecessarily labeled her as. With Sam she was just Rachel and he accepted her in a way that rarely anybody else ever had. Sam was easy to listen to and talk to and he didn't judge like many of her other gleek-mates were quick to. Sure she had dated Finn, even loved him, but much of the time she found she was toning aspects of herself down to fit in with him and into the place at his side. She didn't feel like that with Sam, like she had to be somebody else for him to be seen in public with her.

He was doing another of his swooping arm gestures , his eyes wide, and she knew he was going over the battle scene of Na'vi versus the military once more for her. She forgot about having to rearrange her books into alphabetical and color-coordinated order and instead just enjoyed Sam's remarkably vivid story-telling. However, because the world seemed out to get her whenever possible, his excited tale was interrupted.

"Watch out, Berry, if he _inhales_ you'll get swallowed whole," Puck snarked, walking past with a smirk.

Sam turned to glare after him, his brow furrowed, but Rachel noted that while he obviously disagreed with Noah's rude behavior, he did quiet himself. His noticeably larger mouth closed and his pretty pink lips pursed. He looked back at her with a sheepish smile and she suddenly thought Noah needed a good talking to. Reaching out, she patted Sam's nicely muscled upper-arm; all of his working out really did pay off. "Don't mind him… I've given it some study and decided that while aesthetically pleasing, he hails back entirely too much to his Neanderthal brethren…"

He blinked at her. "So you think Puck's hot?"

She sputtered. "N-No! That-That's not what I was saying at all! I—" She stomped her foot with frustration when he cracked a smile at her. Hands fisted on her hips, she stuck out her lower lip. "That was completely unnecessary."

He chuckled. "Look, you don't have to like, cheer me up." He shrugged. "I know I have a big mouth." Even as if he said it, shrugging to show how little it affected him, she saw the pink flush of his cheeks.

Well aware of what it was like to be picked on for abnormally sized appendages, Rachel reached out and took his shoulders into her hands and squeezed. She was distracted only a moment when she felt the muscles bunch and then relax to her touch. "Sam… I want you to listen very carefully to me…" She stared up at him with wide, serious eyes. "We all have things we don't like about ourselves, things too big or too small, too flat or too lumpy, but what matters is not whether somebody else notices or likes them, but whether we _ourselves _like them." She raised her chin and tapped her nose. "It has been commented on since I was little; made fun of, pointed at, disliked or discouraged, but it's there and it's mine and I love it." She pursed her lips. "Maybe I would look better if it were smaller, but I happen to think that it's _me_. Too big for such a small package, but there and in your face anyway." She grinned, nodding. "And when I go to Broadway and become a star, my nose, large as it may be, is coming with me…" She looked up at him then. "And your mouth, whether it be large or wide or whatever you might call it, is absolutely perfect. It's _Sam!_" She nodded brightly. "Besides, why fit in when you were _born _to stand out?"

She watched proudly as his small smile became larger, as his pink lips stretched and a grin, wide and clear, formed. "Did you just quote Seuss there at the end?"

"Yes," she said, blowing out an exasperated breath and drawing her arms back to cross atop her chest. "But I rather thought there was a lot more to take in than just the quote…" She looked up at him eagerly, "Would you like me to repeat it? All but the quote, that is. Obviously you've heard it before." She wrung her hands out and stiffened her shoulders. "Okay, I'll say it again, but this time with more _emotion_…" As she took in a breath to do just that, his chuckle made her pause. Frowning, she meant to tell him that he had to be quiet and really listen, because she was trying to teach him a very important moral lesson, but then his mouth, those pretty pink lips of his, swooped forward and pressed a soft kiss to her nose. And all of her words, and she had many of them since she had recently added even more to her speech in her head, flew right out of her mind. Instead, all she could think was that his kiss was soft and sweet and her heart was warm in a way that spoke of genuine affection. She blinked up at him, feeling a little teary-eyed, because Sam I Am just said all that she said, in the most flowery of prose, in one simple gesture.

He grinned lopsidedly at her. "I like your nose, Rachel… It's just the right size for my big mouth to kiss."

Her mouth gaped open as she struggled for an answer, something hopefully as sweet as him. Instead, all she managed was, "Oh… It…" She nodded. "I think you're right."

He chuckled.

The bell rang then, signaling the end of their break and Rachel frowned. She really wanted to stay and discuss this sudden change in, well, _them_.

Brows furrowed, Sam quirked his head. "How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before it's June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?"

"Was that…?" She blinked at him. "Did you just quote Seuss again?"

His smile lengthened with amusement. "I meant what I said and I said what I meant."

Taking her books out, she raised a brow and sighed. "Having fun?"

With a cheeky smirk, he took her books from her as she closed her locker and held them out of her reach.

Hands on her hips, disliking how easily he could hold them up and unwilling to jump for them, she frowned, tapping her foot. "You know… A person's a person, no matter how small."

He laughed, happy to have her join in. "Compromise?" he asked, holding his free hand out to her.

"And how is that a compromise?" she wondered, looking from his outstretched fingers to his face.

"I hold your books, you hold me." He shrugged. "Makes sense to me."

Chewing her lip when butterflies seemed to flutter to life in her stomach, she reached forward and let her fingers interlace with his as she turned to walk at his side. She rather liked his kind of compromise she decided, falling in step next to him. She worried her hand was clammy and glanced up at him, but either he didn't notice or she was being ridiculous. His thumb began stroking along hers and her breath stuttered. That felt… _nice_. She'd almost forgotten how it felt to have somebody at her side, somebody to hold onto and to hold her back. She reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear and found it funny how easily they fell in sync.

They walked slowly, the halls emptying all around them. She struggled with how to react to it all. One minute they were friends and then when she'd tried to explain to him that he should love all of himself, even the things other people don't love, they had changed. Not _them_, per se, but their status as a duo; an unlikely friendship seemed to be blooming into something more. She couldn't say she _disliked _where it was going or that she hadn't thought about it before. He really was very attractive and nice and easy to be around. Now that it was happening, though, she had so many questions and very few answers.

Apparently seeing her distress, he squeezed her hand and told her, "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."

She smiled up at him. "Where does this leave us?" she wondered, looking from their hands to him. "I mean… I had sworn off dating and boys after Finn…" Her brow crinkled forlornly. "Relationships have a way of getting in the way of me and my dreams… or at least, that's what Finn told me they do." Looking away, she frowned. "I have to admit that he may have been right. Though it rarely happens, he_ does_ have a point." She nodded. "I like you, Sam. I _really_ like you." She took a deep breath. "I like when you read your comic books to me and explain to me the characters' history. You're so animated and I can clearly see the passion you hold for them. Much like me and Broadway…" She sighed. "And I like that we can sit and sing together and there's no pressure… We just sing and we let the melodies fuse together and it's just _us_…" She nodded, her brows furrowing. "And I like that I'm myself with you. There's no subterfuge or confusion or acting, I'm just Rachel…" She smiled slowly, softly. "And you don't… expect me to be anybody else, do you?" She looked up at him, not expecting an answer as she shook her head. "In fact, I don't think you'd encourage me to change at all… Which, in all actuality, would plainly disagree with Finn's assessment about my relationships, or at the very least any relationship I might have with _you_." She pursed her lips, nodding. "Unless you can find an adequate rebuttal, I have to say I don't see why we can't become more than friends."

He smiled at her, all crooked and warm, and his green eyes watched her as she rambled and came up with her own answers and not once did he try to interrupt her. She imagined it was partly because he knew she'd just keep talking over him and partly because she always seemed to figure things out while she was talking. "Since I didn't _want _to talk you out of dating me, I'm sticking with the idea that we should see where this goes…" He stopped next to her class door and nodded. "And, you know… who knows…" He shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "Maybe I'll be the Jake Sully to your Neytiri."

She brightened. "Can you skate?" She squeezed his hand. "I imagine we'd do even better at the audition if we went as a pair!" Immediately, she became excited, nearly jumping in place. "Oh and you can even speak Na'vi!" She reached out and gripped his shirt. "You _have _to teach me!" Her eyes wide and hopeful, she peered up at him.

He glanced from her fisted hand on his chest back to her face and just smiled. "Sure… We can go out this Friday and I'll teach you a few phrases to get started… We can check out that new vegan restaurant you were talking about the other day."

Nodding happily, she released him. "This is wonderful." She had to let go of his hand to clap.

Amused, he just held her books out for her so she could walk into class on her new high. She was almost through the threshold before she turned back to him, however. At his confused smile, she explained, "Samchel or Evanberry?"

He laughed. "Evanberry." And with that, he kissed her nose in farewell once more and gave her a nudge through the door, saying, "Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away!" And as she walked through, her smile larger than ever, she thought she'd never appreciated Dr. Seuss and his rhyming genius or Noah and his ill-timed insults so very much. Taking a seat, she opened her books and relished the fact that Sam I am, who did not like green eggs or ham, did in fact like _her _and her oversized nose as well. Indeed, today was definitely her day.

[**End.**]


End file.
